Brisbane Archbishop Shane Mackinlay blessed students, staff, families, supporters and founders of the newly opened St John Henry Newman College, Tarragindi, at an opening Mass yesterday. Source: The Catholic Leader.
The college, named after the 19th-century theologian and saint, launched with a cohort of 46 students and follows a classical education program.
Archbishop Mackinlay invited the students and teachers to search for truth like namesake St John Henry Newman, whose intellectual pursuit ultimately came at a “great cost” to his personal life.
He said education should be an “ongoing inquiry” that is “ennobling and enlightening” rather than merely a set of skills defined by the market.
He said St John Henry Newman also wrote extensively about truth in the Christian faith, which was not just a set of propositions to be memorised, but something “deeply personal” encompassing the whole person.
“At the heart of the Christian faith is the crucified Christ,” he said.
“Not a particular formulation, but a person, a person who gives Himself in love.
“It’s there that we see the power and wisdom of God.”
Former prime minister Tony Abbott spoke after the Mass and described the college’s opening as a “new beginning” dedicated to the best of human thought.
Mr Abbott spoke of a “spiritual malaise” affecting Western society, characterised by a loss of faith in God, national identity and the self.
He argued that the quest for “ever deeper truth” – the same quest that animated the life of St John Henry Newman – was essential for the survival of the nation.
He said the school was part of a wider international movement of liberal arts institutions that represent the “best hope for a revival of our civilisation”.
The college was already reporting high demand, with 37 applications for next year’s prep class – nearly double its current capacity – and enrolment lists oversubscribed through to 2030.
Students at the classical education college study a range of thinkers, from Catholic giants such as Augustine and Aquinas to non-Catholic figures including Plato, Aristotle, John Milton and Mary Shelley.
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Archbishop Mackinlay blesses new classical college with encouraging words from former PM (By Joe Higgins, The Catholic Leader)
